Gone

Panic. Terror. Dread. Every single fiber of Taylor's being was taut with panic, terror, and dread. Her eyes darted everywhere in a vain attempt to find the two people she longed to see more than anything.

"MARIE! RACHEL!" It was hopeless. They weren't there. They were gone.

Taylor sunk to the ground with a shaky breath. The panic was gone but now the desperation set in. She laid a hand on her chest to calm her heavy breathing.

Gone…

Gone…

Gone…

The word echoed in her head. It ricocheted off of her skull and hit her physically to where it hurt. Tears welled in her eyes as her breath caught in her throat. "Logan…" she whispered to herself.

000

It was still only mid-afternoon when the group reached the caves. Aaron and Will set off to find Jack, Casey, and a few others. They would know what was going on. Wouldn't they? They would be able to get them back? They would know what to do? Right?

Taylor was more in a trance than anything. She felt…numb to what was going on. Everything was kind of blurred. She couldn't think. She couldn't hear. She couldn't talk or see. She just sat by the dying fire waiting for the boys to get back.

Everything would be okay. Right?

000

They boys had found everybody they needed to and were now gathering even more people to form a search party. Casey sat next to Taylor who hadn't said a word since she had gotten to the caves. Casey just held her daughters hand and told her it was going to be fine. She told her that the boys would find Logan and the other girls.

What else could she say?

The look on Taylor's face was enough to break someone's heart. She could only imagine how her daughter felt. Casey knew how much Taylor meant to her and if anything were to happen to her…she couldn't even fathom the pain she would feel and she wished, in a way only God could understand, that she could take that feeling from her own flesh and blood.

Taylor watched her father approach her through tear-blurred vision. She wasn't crying…just holding them until she needed to. They wouldn't fall unless they absolutely had to. And now was not the time.

Jack kneeled in front of his wife and offspring, a stern, serious expression on his face. "We're going to look for them." He said in a gentle tone. "We're going to find them. Do you understand?" He looked at his daughter's hurt expression and wanted to die. Jack hated when she was sad. But this wasn't even sad. This was just…heartbreaking.

He waited from some sort of response from the woman.

Taylor looked at him and processed fully what he was saying. "I'm coming with you." She said unconsciously. She took a deep breath and pushed the tears back for now.

"Okay." Jack was relieved that she going. He wanted her to help so she had something to do; something to clear the cloud in her head. And this was the thing to do it.

000

It was nightfall and the tiny groups of people were settling down for the night.

The orange glow of the fire illuminated the jungle. But Taylor wouldn't have noticed. She was watching the fire dance in front of her, lost in thought for the millionth time that day. She couldn't clear her head for anything and to be honest she wasn't trying anymore.

Walt watched her from across the fire. He hated to see his close friend in such pain. But he knew that nobody could help her. Finding Logan was the cure to her sickness right now.

His eyes wandered from Taylor's troubled face to the fire and then to the rest of the groups.

They had all separated into groups of four so that they could cover more ground. His group consisted of Taylor, Aaron, Jack, and himself. It was a very driven team of people in his opinion and he knew that would pay off in the end.

He looked back at Taylor. She was sitting the same way she had been only moments earlier. Walt knew the back of his mind that she needed sleep.

"Taylor. Try to get some sleep tonight." He said monotonously. Why did he bother? She wasn't going to sleep but at least he tried. And with that, the darkness of night engulfed him and he was asleep.

000

They had been walking for quite awhile already that day. Jack still leading, and Taylor heading up the back. She hadn't spoken since the day before and no one seemed to care. She was just silent by herself; listening for signs of anything, her eyes scanning the forest background for something that would lead her to where her loved ones were.

Aaron was walking in front of her but still somewhat next to her. He was more angry than distraught about the situation and was more determined every minute to find his child.

"She's a week old." He heard from behind him. He stopped and turned to the only person who could have said that – his wife.

"What?" He asked softly.

"I said: 'She's only a week old'. Who would want her? Who would take a week old child from her parents?" She talked barely above a whisper but just loud enough to be heard. She shook her head weakly as the tears came back. But once again, she wouldn't cry.

Aaron didn't say anything back to her. Just waited for her to catch up and then took her hand in his. Silence once more ensued.

They walked a moment longer before something…someone made themselves known.

The group stopped and listened to the faint yelling. It sounded like someone giving orders, but where were they?

Jack listened carefully and followed the sound with his eyes to above a low cliff nearby. He approached it cautiously with Taylor right behind.

"Come on!" They heard someone shout. "No. Give her here." It was a woman's voice and Taylor thought it sounded familiar.

'Where have I heard that voice before?' Taylor asked herself silently. She thought for a moment longer before it hit her.

"Would you?" Taylor said holding out the baby.

"Not at all!" Rachel said excitedly.

"It's Rachel." She breathed. Jack heard and before he could warn Taylor to be careful she was climbing the short cliff, using the protruding roots as holds.

Taylor reached the top of the cliff and pulled herself over. She took a moment, but only a moment to catch her breath. She propped herself on her knees and observed what was going on.

She saw Rachel holding Logan staring straight at her. Marie…where was Marie and as if on cue Marie stepped out from behind two other people she didn't know. Bailey was sitting on the ground with her normal baby expression on. But there was something different about Marie. Her face was different. Not physically but her eyes were glazed over and her cheeks were flushed. She looked sick.

Taylor heard the boys behind her. Not a word was said as Rachel and Taylor just stared at each other. No one dared even breath.